Portable data collection terminals, such as, but not limited to, handheld bar code readers and radio frequency identification (RFID) readers might be used outside the range of established computer networks. Example environments that might not have reliable wireless connectivity to a computer network include, but are not limited to, construction sites, field excavation sights, airports, shipping docks, warehouses, parcel delivery and tracking services, and research locations. Additionally, sometimes certain areas of a building might not have reliable access to wireless service. Consequently, when large amounts of data are stored on a single data collection device that is used outside the range of established computer networks, there is the risk of losing data if a failure occurs on a particular device (e.g., due to device power failure or physical damage) before there has been the opportunity to upload its information to, for example, a database on a central server.
Therefore, there is a need for a data collection system for, and methods of providing reliable data handling in order to ensure stable data collection and storage in environments without reliable connectivity to servers that can be used to back-up data.